The invention is concerned generally with the art of packaging, and more particularly with a multi-pack carrier for an array of cylindrical containers, such as the common 6-pack beverage can carrier.
As is well known, a wide variety of articles are packaged in containers which are interconnected and sold as a single unit. For example, it has been reported that on the order of 84 billion cans this year will be packaged in units of six, these cans being interconnected by a simple pastic sheet or structure that also serves as their carrier. There are many packages of this general type, representative carriers and packaging machines being disclosed by Poupitch in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,874,835, 2,929,181 and 2,936,070; by Hull et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,032,944; by Fisher in U.S. Pat. No. 3,044,230; and by the applicants in their U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,134,485 and 3,206,019. Many of these carriers and machines are complex. Also, most of them do not protect the tops of the packaged cans from contamination or soiling, nor do they permit a cover sheet to be added for this purpose.
Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a simple carrier that may be easily applied to an array of cans or the like to securely hold them together as a unit even when handled roughly. This carrier should permit a simple mechanism for applying it to the array of cans, a mechanism adapted to rapid, high-volume, on-line product. The carrier and mechanism also should permit a sheet to be placed over the array during the packaging operation to protect the can tops and maintain them in a clean condition until unpackaged. These and other objects will be apparent from the following description of the invention.